No Rest For The Wicked
by FangirlSupreme
Summary: They're not sure if they can trust each other, but even this unsteady alliance is a deadly, wicked one. Zades Con Artists AU
1. Two Sides

(Con Artists AU) 

**I'm planning on having a lot of fun with this one.**

 **This is a repost from HadesxZelena:Perfection, btw**

 **I was mainly inspired by Sawyer from Lost, if I must be honest.**

" _I'm still confused as to what a lady like you is doing in a place like this."_

 _"I just went through a divorce. Long and complicated...He had to pay $500,000." She took a sip of wine. "It feels good to spend a little of his money, and not mine."_

 _"Well, damn. A little vindictive, aren't you?" He grinned at her._

 _"That's one of the best things about me, love," she replied._

 _"What are some other things?" he asked, raising an eyebrow._

 _"I can always show you," she suggested, sliding off her barstool, leading him to one of the casino's hotel rooms._

* * *

Zelena had taught herself to wake up early every morning, no matter how late the conquest the night before had been.

Tossing the covers back, she got dressed, then went to pick the lock on the suitcase last night's date had been carrying around.

You could find out a lot about a man by looking through his things, which was something she honestly had no shame in doing.

Curiosity was a bitch, but then again, so was she.

Zelena opened the ragged leather suitcase, then smiled to herself as she rifled through the "money," which was really just stacks of newspaper sandwiched between pairs of hundred dollar bills.

How _cute_. He'd been trying to con her.

A shame, really. He'd been so much fun.

Well, two could play at that.

Gently setting the faux money back into the case, she closed the lid, glancing back at the bed.

It was funny how lying about a messy divorce attracted the scammers like moths to a flame. She'd gone through her fair share of them, usually swiping what little they had.

Conning the con men. She _lived_ for it.

Every once in a while, she wasn't quick enough, and they were able to find her. The bewilderment on their faces when they found they'd tangled with the Wicked Witch(a nickname she'd come to enjoy in the con world) was worth the mess-up.

Some went so far as to think they'd accomplished something by sleeping with her, a notion she would dismiss quickly, saying that they were just another face and not to let it go to their heads.

That was usually followed by her escaping in some flamboyant way.

Oh, she loved this.

Contemplating what to do next, she figured that once he woke up, there'd probably be another round of sex(and to be honest, after the previous night, she wouldn't say no), and then he'd pretend he was late for a meeting, pick the suitcase up, and bam- fake money everywhere.

He'd act guilty, and she'd "persuade" him into explaining why he had it, at which point he'd tell her he had some big investment.

Next thing, he'd show up with a good bit of real cash, and she'd be able to take it.

Just her kind of long con.

Settling herself amongst the pillows she closed her eyes, pretending to sleep as she planned out the rest of this particular piece of fun.

* * *

Hades felt relatively successful with how the morning was going so far, playing his part right up to the frantic one night stand with a meeting.

"Do you have to go?" she sighed as Hades fumbled with his belt buckle.

"I'm already half an hour late," he said apologetically, reaching for the suitcase, discretely flicking the rigged lock to disengage it. "It's just a meeting. When I get back, it'll be another-"

He was cut off by the piles of "money" falling all over the place as the suitcase fell open.

He pretended to wince as her lips parted in shock, and swore loudly.

"You weren't supposed to see that," he muttered.

She stared incredulously at the bundles of cash lying on the floor. Reaching for a bathrobe, she raked a hand through her red hair. "What-what are you doing with all that?" she breathed.

He shook his head. "I'll explain later." He turned to go, but she grabbed his hand.

"Hades-" He turned back to face her. "What is all that money for?" she demanded.

With faked reluctance, he set the suitcase down. "The meeting I'm going to...It's about this investment. I've got at least $300,00 here, and this meeting might help me triple it."

She was silent for a few moments, processing. "Well, I've got the money, from the divorce. Do you-" she hesitated, "Do you think if you add it on, we could split it?"

He smiled. All was going according to plan.

It was a shame, really.

He quite liked her.

Still, a job was a job, and he had the opportunity to make half a million dollars out of it.

* * *

She had him wrapped around her finger and he didn't even know it.

Admittedly, Zelena felt a little reluctant, tricking him.

She quite liked him.

Still, a job was a job, and she had the opportunity to get at least $300,00 out of it.

She was planning on enjoying this.

* * *

 **Review, please!**

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	2. Double-crossed

(Con Artists AU)

9:52 AM

Zelena reviewed her plan over breakfast brought via room service, keeping a careful eye on the door. Hades claimed he was going off to retrieve the rest of the money, then bring it back. She had a case of handmade counterfeit to give him.

She decided to leave it behind when she took off, as a final joke between them.

She'd been doing this ever since she was seventeen and had conned her own father into trusting his entire life savings to her. Granted, he had been in a drunken stupor at the time, but considering he normally wouldn't have even lent her a dime, it was an achievement.

Really, he hadn't even been her real father. She was biding her time with the man who had sired her. She kept tabs on him.

One of four people responsible for her mother leaving her to die as a baby, said mother included.

She'd crossed off that woman on her list already. The best time to strike was when your victim had something to lose. In her mother's case, that had been the title of state senator.

Long story short, she'd robbed her of a fortune and had wrecked her mother's chance at holding such office.

Damn, revenge felt good.

Cora Mills. Check.

Jonathan Gardner. Her biological father, a man who had attempted to blackmail her mother so he would keep silent about her pregnancy, who at the time was trying to marry some high-class social elite:

Leopold Kings, the reason her mother was trying to keep her pregnancy secret, and who had turned her mother away after the secret got out because of:

Ava Kings neé White, the woman who had discovered Cora's pregnancy and had gone to Leopold.

It had all ended with Zelena ending up in the system, before living in hell with her adoptive father.

Time had passed, and Zelena had changed immensely. She was willing to whatever she had to do in order to achieve a happy ending.

Yes, she'd tried living a normal life. It wasn't enough.

She liked doing this, conning people. If it meant she was destined for hell, so be it.

Bring on the fire and brimstone.

* * *

11:43 AM

Hades came back to the room in time to see her rifling through a large metal suitcase lying on the bed. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Hey. I was just making sure I had it all," she said in lieu of a greeting, shutting the silver lid. He nodded, trying not to seem too interested in the case, before wrapping an arm around her waist and trailing his lips in a path that ran from her collarbone to behind her ear, smiling in spite of himself at her sigh.

"Forget about that," he murmured, his hands moving to her hips. "We'll worry about it later."

Neither of them said much more after her back hit the mattress.

* * *

7:36 PM

Hades hadn't known Zelena long, but he had noticed that there was a certain elegance to her. The way she held herself, the elaborate ways she did her hair, even the cool, calm tone to her voice suggested that she had been a queen in a previous life.

Hell, maybe she was a queen in this life

He still was a little guilty about tricking her, but maybe it would teach her a valuable life lesson.

Such as, don't trust anyone who has a case full of money.

She handed him a glass of wine she'd poured from some vintage bottle they'd ordered earlier, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Here's to getting rich," she said, smiling, raising her glass, a gesture he echoed, their cups clinking against each other.

Both of them taking long drinks, he started a conversation in an attempt to learn the bare minimum about her. Not because he felt any interest, just to know who exactly he was dealing with.

"Where are you from, Zelena?"

She smiled. "It's funny, that never did come up, did it?" she mused. He shook his head, and she answered his question. "Boston. You?"

"Olympia. In Washington, you know?"

She nodded. "Strange that the two of is should meet in a Las Vegas casino, isn't it?"

"I suppose so."

"Maybe we were meant to." She took a sip from her glass.

"You think?" he asked curiously.

"Well, what are the odds?" she replied. "We're from opposite sides of the country, we just happen to meet in Las Vegas, and we both have enough money for that investment."

"Point taken."

"I'm sorry, by the way," she said lightly.

The wine was fogging his mind. He couldn't quite think straight. "For what?" he asked.

"For the massive headache you'll have in the morning," she replied, standing up.

Some form of understanding managed to penetrate through the haze in his brain. She'd drugged him.

"You-" He struggled to get up, but she placed her palm against his chest, pushing him back down.

"If it makes you feel any better, I really liked you," she said. "You were good in bed, too, I can't deny that."

She pressed a kiss to his forehead. "See you around, Hades. I've had a wicked time."

He tried to say something, but his eyelids grew heavy and slid shut, banishing her emerald eyes and crimson hair to a world of black.

What the hell...?

* * *

7:45 PM

Zelena scoured the room top to bottom to make sure he hadn't figured her out and double-crossed her, even cracked the lid to his case and checked a few random stacks of money to confirm it wasn't fake.

She left just enough to pay for checkout and a plane ticket back to Olympia.

Never let it be said she wasn't generous.

Besides, she liked him. He was charming, and yes, pretty cute.

She wondered how many cons those bright blue eyes had gotten him through.

As an extra tease, she even left a note.

Locking the door behind her, she walked out of the room with a case full of cash and her head held high.

Damn, this was fun.

 **Review, please! I really appreciate them.**

 **And, yeah, I thought building Zelena's backstory in a way similar to the show would be cool. If you don't like it, oh well.**


	3. The Chase

**Sorry if this sucks.**

 **Also, please look at the poll on my profile concerning this fic. It's very important and needs votes.**

(Con Artists AU)

8:24 PM

Hades blinked his eyes open, wincing as a bolt of pain wracked his head. Muttering curses to himself, he forced himself into a sitting position.

The last thing he remembered was Zelena handing him that wineglass...

 _Shit._

It was coming back.

She'd drugged him.

Stumbling to his feet, he scanned the room. His case was gone.

 _Shit_.

Hers was still here, but there was no way she would have left anything behind. Fumbling with the lid, he opened it.

What the hell...?

One glance told him it was counterfeit.

What kind of joke was she playing? His gaze landed on the table, where a wad of cash lay on top of a scrap of paper.

A note?

She was just making fun of him now. He scowled and picked up the paper, reading her elaborate cursive.

 _Enjoy your nap?_

 _Sorry again for drugging you and taking your money, love. It's what I do._

 _I really did like you, though. You're cute, and you're pretty smart. Shame I'm smarter, hmm?_

 _There's a lesson here: Be a little more wary of girls who say they've gone through a messy divorce._

 _Well, I'm off. Ain't no rest for the wicked, as they say._

 _Better luck next time, love._

It was signed with two loopy, decorated _Ws_ , a signature any seasoned con man knew.

 _Shit_. He'd come face to face with the Wicked Witch.

She was legendary in the con world. She had a penchant for sabotaging other con men and women, and she had escaped with a fortune every time.

A mix of admiration and shock spread through him.

She was good.

Hopefully, his men were just a little better.

Crumpling the note in his hand and pulling out his cellphone, he quickly dialed a number, tapping his fingers against the table as he waited impatiently for the other end to pick up.

"Boss?" Hades gritted his teeth as a nasal voice blaring through the phone sent a spike of pain through his head.

"Panic, I need you to activate the tracker in the case," he snapped.

"Why? What happened to it?"

"The fucking Witch stole it!" Hades hissed. "Activate the goddamn tracker, now!"

"The Witch?" Panic gasped, and Hades heard frantic typing on the other end. "Wow, I mean- _the_ Wicked Witch? Wow..."His voice trailed off dreamily. "I've always wanted to meet her, she's one of the best-aside from you, boss-"

"Is the tracker activated?" Hades interrupted testily.

"Uhhhh, one sec-yes. It's activated. You should be able to follow it on your phone now-"

"Good. You get a pay raise," Hades said, heading for the door.

"Boss, you don't pay me-"

Hades hung up, and instantly pulled up the location of the tracker.

Shit. She was headed for the airport.

Swearing under his breath, he slammed the door behind him.

He was honestly a mix of pissed off and turned on.

* * *

8:53 PM

Zelena had already changed the license plate on her car, even decided to treat herself to a car wash.

She had to look snazzy for the next victim.

She parked at the airport, knowing the license plate change had cost her about ten minutes.

It wasn't her fault a Florida plate looked better than a New York one. Simply a matter of choosing which one.

She'd booked a flight to Los Angeles the previous night under the name of Charlotte Lewis. Now it was just a matter of getting on the plane.

The case was small enough to fit in one of the overheads.

* * *

9:13 PM

Zelena wasn't all that fond of stewardesses. She couldn't explain it, she just didn't like them. She flipped through a magazine by the window, a stewardess's "Right here, sir," next to her not registering until the seat next to her creaked. Damn. She'd been hoping she could have the seat to herself-

"Hello, Zelena."

She froze, then slowly lifted her head to meet Hades's blue gaze.

She smiled sweetly. "Hello, Hades. I'm known as Charlotte Lewis on this flight. How are you?"

He grinned playfully back. " I'm Richard Fish here. And I've got a splendid headache, thanks to you."

"I said I was sorry," she replied innocently. "Excuse me, I've got to run to the little girl's room." She started to rise, but his arm Instantly came up, blocking her way.

"Where is it?" he hissed.

She met his gaze coolly. "Where's what?"

"Don't play with me. You know what."

"It's in with all the other luggage," she lied. "You wouldn't get it back, anyway, for several reasons."

"And what would those be?" he demanded.

"One, I wouldn't let you. Two, you'd never find it in time. Three-"

"Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts. We are taking off," a cool voice came on over the intercom.

"Well, that's why," Zelena said lightly, gesturing towards the intercom.

Hades swore loudly, prompting scandalized looks from other passengers, people Zelena mouthed apologies to.

"Have you ever been to L.A., _Richard_?" she teased.

At his glare, she figured it was about to be a very long flight. Shrugging, she opened the magazine again and began reading all about the feud between Taylor Swift and Kanye West.

Honestly, she pitied Taylor's boyfriend, Tom Hiddleston. The poor man was all caught up in the crossfire.

After a few moments, though, she had a pressing question to ask Hades.

"So, Hades..."

* * *

 **Review, please!**


	4. Conversation

**Please see poll on my profile page.**

(Con Artists AU)

9:26 PM

Hades had no earthly clue what to do. He was stuck on a plane with the Wicked Witch, one of the most famous con women in the world for at least an hour until this metal death contraption landed in L.A. and he managed to get ahold of the case.

The thing he found simultaneously irritating and hilarious was the fact that Zelena was calmly reading a magazine that was talking about a celebrity feud Panic and his brother had been discussing for over a week now.

If anyone asked him, Tom Hiddleston needed to find a woman that wouldn't drag him into such a pointless argument. Of course, he had no interest in such things.

He tapped his fingers against the armrest, already tense, and Zelena's calm voice almost pushed him over the edge.

"So, Hades..."

He glanced at her, immediately suspicious now.

"How'd you find me?" she inquired, folding the magazine up.

He managed to crack a smirk. "A good con man never reveals his secrets," he said smugly.

"Ah, playing the guessing game, are we?" She leaned towards him, much too close, her gaze almost predatory. "Alright, I'll play," she breathed, smiling as he tensed under the hand she had resting on his knee.

Don't look at her lips.

She pulled back. "There's a theory that if you have multiple explanations for something, usually the simplest is the correct one," she said, pretending as though she'd maintained her position at the window the whole time. "So, let's see...You could have looked for me through the traffic cameras, asked around and followed your leads or..." She trailed off. "Ah. Of course. Tracker in the case?"

He stared, and his incredulous expression confirmed her answer. How...?

"I've been doing this for a while, love," she reminded him. "I knew I was forgetting something. It's in the lining, isn't it?"

At his silence, she nodded to herself. "Need to remember that next time,"she mused.

"What did you drug me with?" he asked.

A brilliant smile spread over her face. "A good con woman never reveals her secrets," she countered.

"Well, it worked fast," he commented. "And you weren't kidding about the headache." Her smile grew wider, until it was almost... _prideful_?

"Wait...did you make that-whatever it was?" he said disbelievingly.

She bit her lip in an attempt to hide her grin. "You are smart, aren't you?"

His grudging respect for her escalated. "You make your own knockout drugs?"

She smirked and turned away as though she had lost interest in the conversation.

He was a bit stunned, to say the least. With a small laugh, he shook his head. "Christ, and here I was trying to land a partnership with someone else."

"A partnership doesn't seem like your style," she commented.

"Is it yours?"

She went very still. "Why do you ask?"

He couldn't believe he was actually about to try and persuade the Wicked Witch to help him with a job.

"I have someone who's con gold, but I can't do the job on my own," he admitted. "I need, well..." His fingers curled around her wrist carefully, "I need a woman to help me," he finished.

She laughed, turning back. "Am I hearing that right? A man asking for a woman's help?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

He sighed. "Yes," he muttered. "I missed the meeting with the person I was originally going to team up with, because I met you and-"

"-thought you could scam me?" she finished. He nodded, and she grinned. "Oh, the poor girl. Who was she?"

"An old friend. It doesn't matter."

"Oh, come on. Tell a girl something fun. Maybe I know her," Zelena coaxed.

"Persephone Wheatley."

Zelena shook her head. "Never heard of her."

"Well, Jonathan set us up-"

"Jonathan who?" she interrupted, her eyes suddenly lit with true interest.

"Gardner. He's an ass, but he's a friend of Persephone's-"

Something in her expression flickered.

"I'll help," she said.

"Wh-what?" he said, confused.

"With the job. I'll help you."

Trying to recover from her sudden fervor, he stuttered, "Well, what's to stop you from-"

"I won't." She held out a hand. "I'm a con woman, but when I promise something, I keep my word."

Hades stared at her outstretched hand, then uneasily took it.

"We split it, even," she added, gripping his hand with surprising strength. "And you don't tell anybody we're working together." He nodded, still bewildered, and increasingly wary.

"Good," she whispered. "It's a deal, then."

Hades shook her hand, and had a feeling like he'd just made a deal with the devil.

* * *

9:39 PM

Finally. She had a clear shot at Gardner. Just because she knew where he was didn't mean she knew how to beat him. He was probably more experienced, and he'd undoubtedly heard what happened to Cora after Zelena'd finished with her.

She couldn't wait til this goddamn plane had landed.

* * *

10:21 PM

Hades's face was priceless when she had cheerfully taken the case down from the overhead.

"You've got to be kidding," he muttered. She only laughed and strode out of the plane, with him following behind.

"Do keep up, love."

* * *

10:43 PM

The woman at the front desk of the hotel near the airport tried to give them a one bed room, though Zelena insisted on a two bed room.

"What, now that the con's over you're done with me?" Hades teased at the room.

"Don't be too insulted, love. You're one of many," she said, not even looking at him.

His hand found her hip as it had earlier that day, and she tensed instantly. "So sure?" he said, smiling against her jawline.

She pulled away. "Go to bed. You can tell me the details of the job in the morning," she replied curtly, trying not to think about what had happened between them the previous twenty-four hours.

"Suit yourself." He just grinned at her, tossing himself onto the small twin bed.

Damn, his eyes were distracting.

She shook herself out of those thoughts.

She had a job to do.

He was just a means to completing it.

That was what she kept telling herself.

 **Review, please! I felt pretty iffy about this one, so I'd appreciate a review from anyone who reads this.**


	5. Meeting

10:25 am

"Are you sure this is where he's supposed to meet us?" Zelena asked, glancing around the small cafe.

"I'm offended you doubt my information," Hades replied, pretending to be hurt.

"You're not exactly trustworthy," she commented, leveling him with a look over her sunglasses.

Hades placed a hand on his chest in mock outrage. "Says the woman who tried to steal three hundred thousand dollars from me."

"Says the man who tried to steal half a million dollars from me," she countered.

"Says the woman who lied about that half a million dollars."

He had her there.

"Touché," she relented. Hades smirked in triumph.

A bell rang at the front of the cafe. Hades glanced up. "He's here," he muttered. Zelena sat back in her chair, trying to maintain an appearance of disinterest, her back to the door.

A man slid into the seat across from them. He was probably in his late fifties, with salt-and-pepper hair. One could see that once upon a time, women and men alike had probably flocked to him, practically begging for him to cheat them of their money.

Jonathan Gardner. Zelena felt her insides clench as she stared at her biological father, sitting across from them.

"Jonathan," Hades greeted warmly. "How are you?"

Gardner's gaze slid from Hades over to Zelena. "Persephone called today. She was particularly livid about the fact that you never met her. So I assumed you'd found someone else to help you. I assume this is she?"

Zelena lowered her sunglasses in acknowledgement before slipping them off completely. "Dorothy Gale," she introduced herself. "A pleasure to meet you." She extended a hand, which Gardner took, before pressing his lips to her knuckles, a gesture Zelena had to refrain from vomiting at.

"Well, you certainly look the part," Gardner drawled. "So what has our dear Mr. Graves told you about this job thus far?"

"He's been rather mysterious about it actually," Zelena said. "I'm afraid I'm rather in the dark, which, as you may guess, doesn't work for me."

"As he should be," Gardner said. "My associates must always remain mum when bringing new parties into a job."

"It's admirable you have such faith in that agreement," Zelena noted.

Gardner chuckled. "I don't. But there are...well, _consequences_ if the agreement isn't honored. You see, darling-" He leaned forward, and Zelena felt her fingers curl around the tabletop in anger, "-when you work with people who cheat others for a living, it's difficult to trust."

"You forget I'm one of those people," Zelena replied coolly. "I'm well aware. There's no one you trust, though? I myself have at least one or two people I can routinely count on."

"I'd drop those people if I were you, sweetheart," Gardner advised her. "But no. Probably a good thing, considering the trouble I've been having lately…"

"Trouble?" Hades echoed. "What sort of trouble? I wouldn't want to run into that during this job."

"I wouldn't fret about it, Graves," Gardner told him. "But someone has been going around, immobilizing and framing my associates, making it so that I and my friends can't make any profit."

Zelena tensed. He'd caught on to what she'd been doing. She'd spent the last several months trying to dismantle his web of con men and various accomplices, while attempting to make it look random.

She had been wondering how long it would take before he wised up to the pattern.

"That seems bad for business," Hades commented.

"It is. But it's nothing I can't handle," Gardner said airily. "Now, Miss Gale-"

Zelena cocked her head to show her acknowledgement.

"You'll be targeting a wealthy millionaire couple. One of my safe houses has been prepared for you and Mr. Graves to pose as a pair of rich newlyweds moving into a new neighborhood for the wealthy. You and Mr. Graves will, for lack of a better phrase, seduce the husband and wife, respectively. Is that something you're comfortable with?"

Ha. As if he cared. Zelena only nodded.

"You will then pose as your 'spouse,' and demand money as compensation for the infidelity."

"Both of us? At the same time?" Zelena inquired.

"Yes. With multiple wealthy houses, if possible."

"That's wicked," she said, a smile spreading over her face. "I love it."

Gardner grinned back at her. "I can see why you ditched Persephone for this one, Hades. I like her."

 _Like father, like daughter, Gardner,_ she thought. Instead, she pretended to preen at the compliment.

"You flatter me, Mr. Gardner," she said sweetly.

"Honestly, though," Gardner said. "If all goes well, I might be interested in recruiting you. Where did you meet her, Hades?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Hades replied, with a half-smile.

"Try me," Gardner challenged.

"Well...I tried to con her," Hades admitted. "Turnabout's fair play, it seems."

Gardner laughed. "Dear me, we'll have to keep an eye on you, won't we, Miss Gale?"

"No need to worry, I'll be good," she answered with a honeyed smile.

"I'm eager to see what we get out of you on this, Miss Gale," Gardner said. "Keep me updated, Graves. Call me in two weeks. I've arranged for plane tickets to your destination. The plane leaves tomorrow at seven A.M. The tickets are at your apartment." He rose from his seat. Hades and Zelena stood as well to bid him adieu.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Gale," Gardner said, shaking her hand, then moving to Hades. "Good luck." And with that, he was gone.

"That went well," she said, her spirits lifting at the prospect of getting closer to Gardner. She'd never come this close to him before, and just seconds ago, she'd been sitting across from him.

"It did," Hades said, eyeing her.

"What?"

"Nothing. You just...seemed off. And why did you use a different name?"

"Hades, it's almost as if you think I trust him," she replied.

"I hope not. No one should. What did you think about working for him?"

She scoffed. This seem to surprise him.

"I don't need Gardner. I'm perfectly capable of doing this on my own."

"We all are. It's just nice to be funded," he said, obviously a little prickly about her insinuating he wasn't capable of being a lone wolf. "Gardner leaves us alone as long as we pay our dues."

"I don't like being a lapdog," she said shortly.

Hades bristled. "None of us are. We just get free rein and someone to bail our asses out of jail if need be."

"I suppose I'm lucky I've never been caught then." She slid her sunglasses back on. "We'd better get back to the hotel. We've a plane to catch tomorrow."

With that, she turned and walked straight towards the door.

She was one step closer to checking another name off her list.

* * *

 **Review, please!**


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